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Reaper Cove
Reaper Cove is small inlet in the Iolla Cliffs on the southern coast of Duilintinn, facing out into the Eastern Sea. Its existence is only known to members of The Watch, who use it to dock the patrol boats used by Watchers of Iolla Beacon Outpost. However, it can also be used as a secret way to enter or exit Duilintinn without passing through the crowded and heavily regulated port city of Loch Domhainn. This small port is essential to efficient travel and communication between Iolla Beacon Outpost and the rest of The Watch. The Airceann Bridge is a long, winding trip from most other outposts of The Watch, so it's actually faster for Watchers from Iolla Beacon to go back and forth to Fort Stiofán by boat. Therefore, Reaper Cove is not only used by The Watch as a private harbor for patrol skiffs and secret comings and goings, but also as one end of this new travel route. The other end of this route would be a small port at the mouth of the Guardian River by Domhainn Outlook Outpost, which is also used for patrols. Name Origin Reaper Cove is named for the terrifying sea monsters that live in the deeper waters by the northern and southern mountains, where they prey on the fools stupid enough to get shipwrecked against the rocks. While the waters of Loch Domhainn are too shallow for reapers (although occasionally one will get stuck in the shallows and cause a lot of excitement), the waters near the Iolla Cliffs are their primary habitat. This actually provides the Iolla Beacon Outpost with a nice defense system; if anyone tried sneaking into the kingdom through the coves, they’ll have to deal with the hungry fish monsters. However, Watchers using the coves have to deal with them too. Usually, this just requires having your wits about you and knowing where the reapers are in relation to you at all times, but occasionally something goes wrong. For this reason, Watchers have to undergo special training in order to be stationed at the Iolla Beacon Outpost. Between the reapers, secret comings and goings, and additional opportunities to serve the community around the Iolla Cliffs, the opportunity to be stationed there is a coveted one among many thrill-seeking or service-oriented members of The Watch. In addition, the inlet is also called Reaper Cove because it’s right under the Iolla Cliffs, home of the Iolla Sanitariums, where the sick people are, and sometimes sick people die. So yeah, Reaper Cove. Fun times. Pulleys Reaper Cove has a pulley system for bringing cargo up the steep cliffside. As a secret port for The Watch’s use, Reaper Cove is an integral part of Iolla Beacon’s operations. However, the stairs from the cove’s docks to the outpost can be incredibly difficult to traverse, especially with the intense winter storms along Duilintinn’s coast. As a result, a complex pulley system is used to haul both cargo and people up and down the cliffs. Watchers are encouraged to take the stairs if possible, allowing the pulleys to prioritize what cannot be safely brought up on foot. That being said, on slow days, it’s not uncommon to see some Watchers hitching a ride perched on top of their cargo as it's lifted out of the cove. Unless it's causing a problem, the Watchers running the pulley system will rarely call you out on it ;)